Devou Park Golf Course

My buddies and I used to view Devou and one of the nicer public courses available to the Cincinnati/N. Kentucky area, but it has gone downhill pretty dramatically in the past couple years. The fairways and tee boxes are super patchy. Some tee boxes are 90% dirt and sand. Greens are normally okay, unfortunately they had just been aerated prior to our round, and while I understand that is a necessary evil of grounds maintenance, the fact that there was no mention of these conditions when we booked our tee time or when we checked in seems questionable. Additionally, there was no mention (this year or last) of the fact that Hole 11, which has been under construction for the last year, has no green and just end in a water-filled hole with a flag in the middle of some long grass. Any one of these things would've been unfortunate, all of these things together led to our group unanimously deciding that we wouldn't be returning to Devou. It's just not worth the price anymore, and it's clear that management has stopped trying.

Greens newly aerated 4/3/22. No grass in the fairways. One hole has a pin in the fairway. Not worth the money/time to play here right now.

1- Pace of Play: Excellent. Tee time was 1030 hrs Monday, Starter got me out at 1000 hrs. Pace on front was fantastic, no one front, no one behind. Pace slowed on back when I caught up to a 4some (high-handicappers) around hole 11. I asked a single behind me to join and after a couple holes the 4some let us play through. All and all, it was a 3.5hr round and that deserves an Excellent rating no matter where played. 2- Course Conditions: Average. Fairways were thin, probably due to the time of year. Bunkers, not a rake to be seen, fortunately not an issue for me this day. Divot Sand, not bottle on the cart or course. Some rough areas were not uniform. Cart paths were a little rough in some spots and you need to be cautious on the frequent elevation changes. Staff Friendliness: Excellent. Well above average from the Starter to the Pro-Shop and Maintenance Staff. Value for the Money: Good. Course Layout: Good. I played from the Whites. Basically all par 4's were drive/wedge. Nice track, but basically straight shooting. No real doglegs that would provide a more challenging drive/second shot. Fairways on the back are narrower so there aren't too many holes where you can "grip and rip it" like you can on the front, at least not for me. Greens were rolling maybe a 9, and like most mini's there were many unrepaired ball marks. I fixed at least a half dozen on each green and I could've done more. Great views of the Cincinnati Skyline on 3 green, definitely the spot for a group picture. Course Amenities: Average. No range. Tiny practice putting area. I did not grab a bite at the turn, but the clubhouse appearance is well above average and fitting for a few beers and conversation after a round.. I'm a 10 GHIN who's played maybe 10 times over the past year, but still managed to bang out an 82. I was happy. I got the round from a GolfNow Hot Deal. I just moved into the area and I'm looking forward to trying other courses, but I will definitely return to Devou.

Devou is a Cincinnati classic. The hilly landscape makes for some tight fairways, forcing you to step up your iron game.

After finding out my error in reserving the tee time, the gentleman at the pro shop worked out a satisfactory solution. We also had our cart die, but nice gentlemen rescued us. They brought a new cart for us and helped transfer our equipment. Last but not least, two workers were measuring the cart paths for new surfacing. We were in the way and they got stuck. No bad reactions. Now for the golf, it was a great day and the greens were in great shape for the time of year.

I love playing the front nine at Devou. It was cold and a bit wet out there but the course was in great condition all things considered. The greens are some of my favorites in the city and the staff has always treated me well.

It was easy to get around today except for the fall sunshine in our eyes. The course was fine shape with the exception of one hole they have shortened to a par 3. The city scenes of Cincinnati are always a highlight. Hoping there is another day with decent weather to play there again.

For the most part the entire experience was good. Staff was friendly and most of the course was in good condition. We did have a few issues though.

First, there were some holes that were completely covered in leaves, I understand it is fall but there was no attempt to clean some up.

Second, our cart died on the start of the 16th hole, I understand it was cold and that affected the battery, but the other cart in our group was doing fine the whole time.

Lastly,

Hole 11's "green" was horrendous. It appeared there was sort of landslide that affected the back of the green, so the "green" was a spray painted circle in the middle of the fairway with a hole that was about a foot across and full of water.